A GOOD APPETITE; When in Doubt, Add Chocolate

By MELISSA CLARK

Published: March 10, 2010

FOR years I thought that the deeper, darker and more ganache-like a chocolatepudding was, the more I would like it. I wanted pudding as dense as a chocolate truffle and just as rich.

But recently, I met one on the opposite end of that bittersweet spectrum. It was satiny and buoyant, instantly dissolving into a sweet, bright, milky puddle when it hit my tongue.

Flavored with Nutella, the Italian hazelnut-chocolate spread, instead of 70 percent Valrhona chocolate, it was about as far away from my sticky ganache ideal as it could possibly be, and yet I fell head over heels.

Set with gelatin instead of egg yolks, panna cottas are lighter than most puddings. And the milk chocolate doesn't yield as intense a flavor as extra-bittersweet.

But even so, I was curious to try it, mostly because I crave panna cottas of every stripe and had never had a chocolate one. And the inclusion of Nutella, which I've loved since my very first finger-full as a child, seemed like a stroke of genius.

Plus, at my local specialty market, I'd been eyeing cute jars of Nutella that came in reusable cartoon-decorated juice glasses. It was the perfect excuse to pick up one.

I made the recipe and was rewarded with a nutty, light, gently flavored pudding that was so easy to eat I nearly devoured it all in one sitting.

When it was all gone, I immediately wanted to make it again and invited some friends over for dinner as an excuse.

This time, I went to the supermarket. The Nutella sold there was half the price and twice the size of the first jar I had bought; it was also made in the United States, not Italy.

I whipped up the pudding, sneaking a spoonful for quality-control purposes.

The flavor was markedly different from the previous batch, more elusive and less chocolatey, perhaps because the formula for Nutella varies slightly from country to country.

The pudding was still very good. But if I melted a little bittersweet chocolate and whisked it into the mix, would it be as sublime as the first batch?

I tried it, and when it was ready, my friends and I dug in. It was even richer than the pudding made with the Italian Nutella, but creamier, softer and just as easily devoured.

1. In a medium bowl, whisk gelatin with 3 tablespoons cold water. Place chopped chocolate in another medium bowl. In a large bowl, combine Nutella and salt.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring cream to a boil. Pour half the cream over gelatin mixture and whisk gently to combine; stir in vanilla. Pour remaining cream over chopped chocolate; whisk until smooth. Combine two mixtures; whisk well.

3. Pour one-third of the gelatin-chocolate mixture over Nutella; beat using an electric mixer on low speed until a smooth paste forms. Pour in remaining mixture and milk; beat until fully combined.

4. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into six ramekins. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator until set, about six hours or overnight. Serve sprinkled with chopped hazelnuts, if desired.